Reflector socket



March 21, 1933- N. w. HALL REFLECTOR SOCKET Filed Oct. 7, 1950 Patented Mar. 21 1933;

UNITED STATES PATENT ,FFICE EEILSOiRT WARD HALL, OF SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO PASS & SEYMOUR, INC.,

on SYRACUSE, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW' oRK REFLECTOR SOCKET Application filed October 7, 1930. Serial No. 487,043.

This invention relates to lighting units, and more particularly to that type of lighting unit wherein an elongated reflector open on one side is provided with one or more lamp sockets to receive elongated lamps the axes of which are parallel to the axis of the reflector.

It is a general object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved reflector lighting unit.

More particularly it is an object of the invention to provide in a reflector type light ing unit a lamp socket and mounting member therefor which permit the socket to be swung at an angle to the axis of the reflector for ease in removing and inserting lamps.

An important feature of the invention resides in forming the mounting means for the socket in the form of a hinge.

Another important feature resides in forming one member of the hinge with clamping means for grasping the socket and maintaining it in its normal operating position while permitting it to be moved to lamp inserting position with ease.

Another feature of the invention resides in the hinged construction wherein one of the members is provided with a stop for-engagement with the other of the hinge members for limiting the amount of swing of the socket.

Other important features include the manner of bringing the conductor wires to the socket, the manner of protecting the socket terminals, and certain features of the socket construction which facilitate its assembly and wiring.

Other and further objects and features of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the accompanying drawing and following specification, wherein is disclosed a single exemplary embodiment of the invention, with the understanding, however, that such changes and variations may be made therein as fall within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In said drawing,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a socket constructed according to the present invention, showing the reflector, the reflector casing, and the hinge mechanism in longitudinal section; v i J Figure 2 is a transverse section on line 22 of Fig. 1, showing the lamp removed;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section on an enlarged scale through the lamp socket and hinge mechanism;

Figure 4 is an elevation of the hinge end of the socket and-hinge assembly; and

Figure 5 is a perspective view, showing the two parts of the hinge mechanism separated.

In various types of reflector units, and particularly those for showcase lighting,

elongated reflectors open at one side are used,

and these are often housed in casings open on the corresponding side but with closed ends.

One or more sockets may be arranged in such reflectors with their axes parallel to the axis of the reflector. The type of lamp fitted to these sockets is usually one 7 having an elongated,tubular or cylindrical bulb. Owing to the closeness offit ofthe lamp tov the reflector, difficulty is found in inserting and removing lamps if the socket is secured permanently and rigidly'to the reflector. V This is particularly true because of the awkward positions in which these reflectors are often mounted. The present invention contemplates the provision'of a reflector unit in which the socket is hinged to the reflector so that it can be swung so that its axis stands at an angle, say approximately 15 or 20 to the axis of the reflector, whereby the lamp can be readily grasped for removal or insertion after which the socket is swung back into position and held by a, clamping mecha nism. 1

Referring now to the drawing, there is disclosed at 10a reflector casing formed of any suitable material such as metal, and having a cross section preferably as shown in Fig. 2, with closed ends 11 and 12 and an open side 13. Fitted within this casing, and held as by spring clips or the like, is a reflector 14 provided on its interior with such a surface coating as to provide suitable reflecting qualities. In the form shown, but a Single socket 15 is arranged within the reflector and near one end thereof. This socket is arranged with its axis parallel to that of the reflector in order to receive the lamp 16 of elongated tubular form substantially filling the reflector.

The socket proper comprises, for instance, a one-piece insulation member or shell 18 of generally cylindrical contour and provided at one end with the recess 19 to receive the screw shell and center contacts 20 and 21 respectively. The rear end of the socket is recessed as at 22 for the reception of the conductor terminals, one of which is shown at 23 in Fig. 3, but it will be understood, of course, that two of them are used spaced side by side. As shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3, a screw 24 passes longitudinally through the insulation material and joins the center contact to the terminal 23. A corresponding screw, not shown, joins the screw shell contact to the other terminal, and a second screw 25 serves to hold the screw shell more firmly in the recess 19. This screw is short and is engaged ina nut 26 at the bottom of a deep recess 27 which after assembly is filled with a suitable insulating wax. The upper side wall of the terminal recess is cut away as at 30 for the passage of the conductors.

Inorder to mount the socket on the reflector and to insulate and protect the terminals, a hinge assembly, best shown in Fig. 5, is formed from two pieces of stamped metal. It comprises first a stationary'or reflector attached part 31. This is preferably formed from a single integral stampinghaving a flat or substantially flat central portion 32 provided with a threaded opening 33 for the reception of the screw shown at 33 in Fig. 1 for securing the member to the reflector. At one end the central member is attached to the right angled head portion' 34 which, as seen in Figs. 1 and 2, extends parallel to and covers the terminal end of the socket when the socket is in operative position. For the purpose of insulating the conductors, from this head portion, there is provided'on its inner face a sheet of insulating material 35 secured thereto by the rivet 36.

The central portion 32 is provided near its junction with the head 34,'with a large substantially circular opening 37 which lies over the cut-away portion 30 of the terminal recess wall and is intended for the passage of the conductor wires which, as seenin Fig. 1, enter through a nipple 38 at the right hand end of the casing, pass between the casing and the reflector at 39, passthrough the opening 40 in the reflector, and then through the opening 37 in the hinge member, through the ,o enin 30 and are attached to the terminals.

Conveniently a lug 42 is punched out of the opening 37 and turned through anangle of 180 to; extend parallel to the central portion 32 and provide an additional tapped hole 43 to receive a screw for assistance in attaching the hinge to the reflector.

The lower part of the head 34 of the hinge member is bifurcated and the two arms 45 are each bent into the form of a shallow U, as clearly seen in Figs. 3 and 5. These hooks are arranged to engage the pivot lugs 47 projecting laterally from the second hinge member 48 which is secured to the side of the socket opposite the opening 30 by means of a single screw 49 entering the opening 27 laterally, where it receives a nut which is held thereon by the wax filling the opening. To prevent twisting of the socket hinge member. it is recessed as at 50. into the side of the socket.

In assembling the hinge after wiring the socket, the reflector member is first secured to the reflector, the socket positioned as shown in Fig. 3,the hinge member 48 arranged with its lugs 47 in the hooks 45, and the screw 49 put into position. The hinge can beassembled or dissembled, if desired, by removing the screw 49, the nut of which will be held in position by the filling wax. WVhen the two parts of the hinge are assembled as just described, they cannot be unintentionally scparated.

To limit the amount of throw or swing of the socket, the hinge member secured directlv thereto is provided with a bent lug 52 which in the normal position of the socket extends substantiallyparallel to the head 34 of the reflector hinge member, as clearly seen in Fig. 3. However, when the socket is swung, the lug 52 is brought into engagement with the head 34,as seen in dotted lines in Fig.1 at 5 5 and effectively limits theswinging movement.

Toretain the socket in the operative position, the central part 32 of the reflector hinge member has at the end opposite the head, a pair of laterally disposed arms 56 bent to a curve, as seen in Fig. 2, to more or less conform to the exterior of the socket, and provided at the tips with the convex grips 60 which are. received in notches 61 in the sides of. the socket. If desired, the sloping sui faces 62 may assist in spreading the spring arms 56 for ease in engagement. gagement is entirely frictional and can be re leased by pulling the socket so that the. grips 60 are sprung out of the notches.

The hinge structure is an exceedingly siniple one, being formed of two unit punchings, readily manufactured and assembled, so that the whole deviceis quite cheap and compact and yet permits of convenient operation of the socket for inserting or replacing lamps.

Having thusdescribed the invention, what is claimedas new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a lighting unit, in combination, a tubular reflector open onone side, a lamp socket shell of insulating material carried The en by said reflector and adapted to hold a lamp extending axially of said reflector, a hinge member having one part secured to the bot tom of said reflector and one part to the socket whereby the socket may be swung away from the reflector for inserting a lamp, and means to directly engage the insulating ma terial of and clamp the socket in operative position.

2. In a lighting unit, in combination, a tubular reflector open on one side, a lamp socket carried by said-reflector and adapted to hold a lamp extending axially of said reflector, a hinge member having one part se cured tothe bottom of said reflector and one part to the socket whereby the socket may be swung away from the reflector for inserting a lamp, and means on the hinge member which is secured to the reflector to engage and clamp the socket in operative position.

3. In a lighting unit, in combination, a tubular reflector open 011 one side, a lamp socket carried by said reflector and adapted to hold a lamp extending axially of said re flector, a hinge member having one part secured to said reflector and one part to the socket whereby the socket may be swung away from the reflector for inserting a lamp, and spring fingers formed integral with the hinge member which is secured to the reflector to engage the socket walls to clamp the socket in operative position.

4. A lamp socket assembly for reflectors comprising in combination, a socket shell, a hinge member secured to one side of the shell and extending beyond one end thereof, a second hinge member extending along the opposite side of said shell for attachmentto a reflector and having a portion extending over said end, means interlocking said hinge members adjacent the intersection of said end and first mentioned side, and clamp means on said second mentioned hinge part to engage said socket near the opposite end thereof.

5. A socket structure for use in showcase reflectors comprising a socket shell of insulating material, a hinge assembly secured to said socket shell with the pivot thereof near one end thereof, and means on the hinge portion, which is pivoted to the socket shell, to clasp the socket near the other end thereof.

6. In a socket assembly for use in elongated, open sided reflectors comprising in combination, a socket shell having a recess at one end thereof, circuit terminals exposed in said recess, a portion of the side wall of said recess being open for the lateral passage of conductors, a hinge member secured to said shell on the side opposite said opening, a second hinge member pivoted to said first hinge member adjacent said shell end, a portion of said second member extending over said reaway, said part having an opening coinciding with the cut-away portion for the passage of conductors and means to secure sald part to a reflector.

7. A lamp socket assembly for reflectors comprising in combination, a socket shell, a a

means interlocking said hinge members ad- 'jacent the intersection of said end and first mentioned side, said portion of the hinge which is secured to the reflector having an opening therethrough for the passage of conductors to the socket.

8. v In a hinge for sockets for showcase reflectors, in combination, a strip of metal for attachment to the side of the socket, oppositely'disposed lateral lugs thereon, a stop lug beyond the lateral lugs and out of the plane thereof, a strip for attachment to the interior I of the reflector, a portion thereon having a bifurcated end with furcations of U-shape to receive said lugs, said stop lug engaging said portion after a limited movement of the parts.

9. A flectors comprising a strip for attachment to the socket having oppositely disposed lateral lugs thereon, a stop lug beyond-the said lugs and out of the plane thereof, a second part for attachment to the inner face of a reflector having arms to straddle said strip with their ends of U-shapeto receive the said lateral lugs, said stop lug engaging said part when the part and strip are swung in respect to each other a limited amount beyondv their normal positions. x

10. A lamp socket assembly for use in showcase reflectors comprising in combination, a socket shell of insulating material, open terminals at one end of said shell, a hinge member secured directly to the side of said shell and extending beyond said end, a second hinge member pivoted to the first mentioned hinge member beyond said end and having a part extending over and protecting said open terminals and a part secured thereto extending along the opposite side of the shell and attachable to a reflector.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature. 1

NELSON WARD HALL.

cess, insulation material carried thereby, a

part extending from said portion along the side of the shell having the recess wall cut hinge for sockets for showcase re- 

